1 1 —Loss

Monica had a headache. A really bad headache. She was currently looking at an blank draft of hers on her laptop, seated on her personal desk in her bedroom.Monica didn't attend college , mostly because she thought it would be a waste of time and money.

What was the use if she was going to end up as a writer anyways? She informed her parents of her aspirations when she was sixteen and they were super supportive.

"Even if I don't earn much?",She had asked at the time.

"Your Father and I aren't lacking in money,we can provide for you until you're ninety year old lady"Her mother had responded. Those words made her feel warm inside especially since her parents do have the money for that. Her parents would do anything for her and her siblings as long as they were happy.

One of the things she absolutely loved about being a writer was that she could be dressed in pajamas all day long. No need to wake up around 5:30 to get ready for work.

Her parents and her older brother went to work. Her younger brother is at school now and she can't cuddle with him right now.

Since she couldn't think of anything to type,she decided to procrastinate by entering social media.

A few minutes has passed and she was tired of staring at her phone screen, deciding that she needed some fresh air,she got up from her seat to leave her room but her phone rang.

'Who could be calling?'

Her family and friends know that she doesn't answer them unless it's an emergency. She picked up the phone just to see that it was her baby bro calling.

Her younger brother Daniel is a really cute kid. His brown hair always shined in the sunlight, his coal black eyes always sparkled once he found something interesting ,or excited,or intrigued. Her baby brother didn't know how to control his facial expressions,and his eyes always conveyed what he wanted.

Her brother is two years younger than her. And she has always been whipped for him. She is proud to be a bro-con.The only aspect about her brother that worried her was how lazy he was. If you didn't wake him up,he will sleep without eating anything,he didn't want to do anything unless it deals with something new or science.

Monica remembered that his exams was ending today,and he was to write the SAT's next week.

He isn't supposed to be calling her now,she remembered that he was supposed to be hanging out with his friends at his best friends house today. She wondered why he's calling her now.

"Maybe he couldn't handle the heat?"She wondered outloud. Daniel loves laying on the grass to sunbathe but has always hated too much heat.

Picking up her phone expecting to hear her brothers voice but she heard a panicked voice instead. it was Giovanni.One of her brothers best friend,the boy who so obviously has a crush on him so much so that her whole family knows.

"...Did something happen?",She asked calmly.But he wasn't listening to her.

"Calm down Gio,breathe" She instructed. She could hear him crying,he seemed out of it.

"D-Daniel.."He stuttered. Something happened to Daniel. She got up in haste.

"..What happened?"She questioned. Her heart was pounding,she could hear it beating so much.

"He had an accident "

'Accident?'

Warning bells were going off in her head. She didn't question him again because she was momentarily stunned. "Which hospital?" He told her the name of the hospital. That's where her mom works. She left her room, running downstairs in her pajamas, in a hurry she wore mismatched flip-flops both blue and pink.

She told Giovanni that everything would be okay. Reassuring him,that Daniel would be alright. Her baby brother would be fine. That she was on her way.

She got inside her car,which was grey in color. Driving off she hanged up the call with Giovanni once more reassuring him then called her mom. Her mom's number wasn't going through. She called her dad. After three rings,he picked up.

Not giving him a chance to speak,she explained the situation to him.

"I'm on my way"

With those words he hanged up. It was a forty minute drive to the hospital.

She arrived at the hospital and left her car finding a parking spot. People gave her looks,her long blonde hair was askew, looking like a bird's nest,but they didn't criticize her because of her eyes. Her brown eyes were shaking frantically. She ran into the hospital and looked for the OR in the west wing .She arrived at the waiting room that was outside the OR and saw Giovanni and Fred there.

They were seated on the bench outside. Their clothes were covered in blood.

Their eyes were puffy with tear tracks visible in their face.

"...Gio, Fred"She called out to them. They turned to the sound of her voice.As soon as they caught sight of her,they started crying again. She opened up her arms for them ,they hugged her tightly. Giovanni and Fred looked horrible . Giovanni's black hair was ruffled here and there,his teal eyes clearly showed fear . Fred's shoulder length hair wasn't in its normal updo anymore,his black eyes looking distraught. For every sob they made, their body trembled. They were a mess.They tried saying something but it came out as babbles. She hugged them,they were just teenagers after all. They were both 17 and 18 respectively,so seeing something like this was a shock for them. She coaxed them to calm down.

"I'm sorry.."Giovanni apologized. "I wasn't paying attention... I should have paid attention ...if I had-"

She cut him off "It's not your fault" it really wasn't.He bit his lips and the tears came down harder. She looked at the red light,her brother is in an operation. Monica is scared. She was praying in her heart that her brother should be okay. She wasn't religious,she didn't believe in a God but she prayed in her heart for his safety.

Fred informed her about what happened.

"...A truck?"She said a bit dumbfounded. Monica has read a light of Isekai mangas and light novels to know where this was going.

She shook her head,she shouldn't mix fiction with reality, gaining her rationality,she knew her brother would die if not helped .

The driver. That fucker.

Her eyes became ice cold. Her family arrived,Her father and her brother walked up to them in their suits.

"Where's mom?"She asked still hugging them.

"I couldn't get a hold of your mother"Victor,her father informed her. Giovanni and Fred stopped crying , released from the hug then wiped their tears.

Michael walked up to her, his expression looking absolutely terrible through his glasses"... What happened to Daniel?"

" An accident",She calmly explained. He looked at her face."Is something wrong?"She asked.He hugged her.

"Daniel will be fine",He whispered in her ear. Her pupils shook.

"No need to force yourself to be strong". But she needed to be strong,she was an adult .

"You're still a kid"He said to her as if he could read her mind . "You're just 19". Michael was an adult,he was six years older than her. He didn't want her to hold back her tears .The back of her eyes were burning. Tears formed in her eyes,then she started sobbing in his arms.

"Waah,I'm so scared"She cried He rubbed her back in a soothing motion.

***

Monica doesn't know how long they've been waiting ,her brother kept her mind front straying off.She is grateful that he was looking out for her.Her father called Giovanni's and Fred's parents earlier, Giovanni's dad was waiting along with Fred's parents as well. They were worried about Daniel.

Finally the light changed to green indicating that the operation is over. They all stood up immediately,the doctor,a middle aged man came outside, Her mother, Diana came outside right behind him, dressed in a green surgeon uniform. There was blood on her clothes. Her hair was out of the net,her hair looked disheveled,her steps were weak.

"...Mom?", Monica questioned. 'She was here?'

"Honey", Victor called out to his wife. He enveloped her into a hug. Her dark eyes were covered in tears . She looked at her husband, sending him a message with her eyes. Victor received the silent message, tears gathered in his eyes.

Monica didn't miss this exchange. Dread pooled inside her gut. 'I don't understand '. Monica didn't understand. She understood what her parents were saying to each other. That was why she could not understand.

The doctor was saying something but she wasn't listening. Monica couldn't hear anything,she couldn't breathe. Her ears were ringing Her baby bro is gone. She could vaguely hear her mother running,her father holding saying something and her brother..

Why was Michael looking at her like that?There was no way Daniel is dead. This must be a joke. She talked to him at breakfast just this morning, She was complaining about his intelligence. That her brother was too smart,(she was proud),.

She heard Michael worried shout,why was he yelling?

Ah.

she could see spots in her vision. She fainted ,her brothers worried tone was what she heard last in her consciousness.